OCR Text |
Show NEW WEST POINT. More Than Five Million Dollars la to Be Spent by the ' Government in Improvements at the Military ', Academy of the. Nation. v It has been apparent for some time to thoso best conversant with tho needs for training young men for tho army through government gratuity that tho young soldiers nt West Point are not suitably housed; that in order to keep tho reputation of tho old military academy whero It has long stood, as the best in tho world, a radical chango must necessarily come. With tho great Improvements at Annapolis, An-napolis, It was but a step to provide for tho army end of tho nation's protectors. pro-tectors. Accordingly, by an act of Wa front LvAT. r cMAPeb y Congress passed Juno 28, 1902, tho sum of $5,500,000 waB appropriated to bring about certain changes In tho lino of now buildings, remodeling the old and giving a moro beautiful landscape land-scape effect to tho spacious grounds on tho Hudson. To do this properly a competltlvo ion test was entered Into by ten architectural archi-tectural firms selected by tho secretary secre-tary 61 war the plana best suited to whaE was needed, not only for tho present, but a long way Into tho future, to he tho ones from which tho changes would bo mado. A Boston Bos-ton firm was successful In securing tho decision of the committee and now that tho firm has been officially equipments, as well as a public or gallery entrance. There will bo apace In tho upper stories for futuro assign-ments. assign-ments. This building Is given a logical location on tho lower lovol of tho cliff and its design is severe and I'mplo. Its location shows It to bo a continuation continua-tion of tho cliff on whoso brow It stands, and It will bo constructed of tho rocks from tho cliff Itself, rising from the river to form a bnso for tho buildings above. Tho plans of tho building itself bIiow ono of tho finest riding halls In tho world. Tho extension of tho cadet barracks Ib ono of the Important quostlons with which tho firm hnd to deal. In this caso there linvo been added to tho old building build-ing soven divisions, ono at tho southeast south-east corner of tho old, four at tho southeast corner of tho area nnd two nt the southwest corner of the old. These seven divisions will provldo for 32 men each. Tho post headquarters, being tho central ndmlnlstratlvo building of the academy, Is treated with all tho Importance Im-portance due Its function. It will bo built around nn inner court 120 fpet squaro, three stories high, with a -f tower 50x50 feet and 150 feet high, or " eight stories. This will bo a very olab ornto building of cut stone. Tho lower stories will bo devoted to n military museum, and tho upper stores to tho necessary ofllccs. Tho chapel will bo tho mdst monumental monu-mental building of tho group. It will bo placed on tho riso of tho hill nnd abovo nil the other buildings and the town, so thnt Its tower will bo scon I from both the soutk. saA orth river I f tLVWTN R TWa, ttNCR. notified of its success In securing ono of tho largest outside contracts ever awarded by tho government, the working plans will soon be begun. This firm has .made a specialty of Gothic work, especially ln tho drawing draw-ing of churcn plans, and from tho fact that the present stylo of buildings build-ings at West Point are along gothlc lines tho now plans carry tho same Idea throughout. This is cot meant, to bo construod that tho lines will bo hard and fast as pertaining to col-Icglato, col-Icglato, ecclesiastical or domestic gothlc, but essentially a military gothlc, simple, massive and powerful: Tho plans submitted in competition wero simply temporary ones, but contained con-tained all tho details as to elevation, location and topographical effect, whllo tho thesis gave mot of the detail as suggested by the architects. With tho contract In hand, tho Arm will at onco open nn o01c in Now ITork city, easily accesslblo to West Point, and tho working plans will be forthcoming. It Is hoped to havo tho plans prepared pre-pared during the fall and winter, so that tho work of building and reconstructing recon-structing may begin in April, Then, too, tho firm Is dotermlucd to keep within the appropriation at all hazards. haz-ards. Not only has tho work dovolvcd upon tho firm of providing plans and locations for tho proposed now buildings, build-ings, but there went with it tho attendant at-tendant featuro of making tho landscape land-scape harmonize with tho now locations. loca-tions. This was a big featuro of tho work, and from the plans presented tho rough stones of tho cliff had been mado to form a foundation In somo rases, giving nn nppnrent look that Iho buildings woro of tho cliff itsolf. Since tho approach to any lnstitu-don lnstitu-don of importance is of great moment, mo-ment, a now landing stago has been indicated for steamboats, ferryboats and pleasure craft. By raising tho lovol of this primary ontrnnco td the reservation so that tho railroad will pnss underneath, much has boon gained In convenience and architectural architec-tural effect, whllo tho grado to tho principal appronch to tho acadomy will bo greatly Improved. Other landscape land-scape features In tho lino of cuts, now roads, look to tho grcntor dovolop-mont dovolop-mont of plans for tho next twonty-fUo years. Tho largest structuro in tho now group, as contemplated undor the changes, Is tho riding hall, COO by 120 feet of clear spaco Insldo. Its root Is supported by steel trusses, whllo a lnrgo low towor nt tho corner forms, In its lower story, a room for approaches. This building will bo s verely Gothic, outside and in, will b( 200 by 80 feet, with a towor 140 foof; high. Its outer walls to be of cut stono, whllo tho interior will bo a combination of cut stono and brick, sixty feet high and vaulted in masomy while the finishings will bo rich in detail. de-tail. It Is contemplated to mako the grand building tho Westminster Abbey Ab-bey of tho army, whero tho distinguished distin-guished officers of tho army may be burled and tho place becomo a memo- a rial to all great men. - Tho new ncadcmlc building will nlso be an Important structuro, following in a mcasuro tho stylo of tho old, which will stand directly opposite In this new building will bo tho clasr rooms, laboratories and lecturo rooms, doubling tho present capacity for the work. The featuro of this building, in conjunction with tho old, will bo the 8IOIA40 MALk monumental arch and bridge which will connect tho two. This wnnectlng link will bo of elaborately carved stone and full of niches for statues. The suggestion of tho plans are In effect to chango tho superintendent's quarters to tho axis of tlw main ave-nuo, ave-nuo, a point that practically commands tho entire academy and post. This building is plannod to con lain not only residential quarters, b It reception rooms and suites of aiirtments for visiting dignitaries. Vr south wlnff will face tho plain and tcademy, nnf tho north wing would b turucd at a' anglo fnclng directly up tho river. Tho main avenue, as It prolongs It self across tho military plain, domands , a focal point of considerable importance. import-ance. Tho battlo monument Is to bo ono sldo of this,, lino of vision. Bnl- , anclng this monument, tho firm has Indicated another vory similar in do- ( sign, to ho In momory of tho ofQcora j nnd men of tho academy who havo J fallen In wars othor than tho civil ' war, blank spaces boing loft for tho s inscribing of possible futuro names. sect,... i.it i.iti 0K5r""XVL';tt"- Between theso two shafts will rise the m flagstaff, and tho monuments will form. u nn nnp'oprlato contor to tho vie from tho uppor entrance gates afoiyj tno main avenue. i |